“Although we do not share a land border, Albania is a neighbor of our heart,” Yılmaz said in his keynote address to the forum, attended by over 1,500 Turkish investors and senior officials.

Referring to the centuries-old historical ties between the two nations, Yılmaz noted that relations have significantly strengthened since the signing of the Joint Political Declaration during Prime Minister Edi Rama’s visit to Ankara, elevating the bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership.

“In just the past eight months, we have signed 10 cooperation agreements, giving new momentum to this partnership,” Yılmaz added.

Yılmaz highlighted the surge in bilateral trade, which has surpassed $1 billion, and announced plans to double the volume to $2 billion in the near term. He also noted that trade in services alone had reached $117 million.

“Türkiye is among the top foreign investors in Albania,” he said, adding that Turkish companies are active in a wide range of sectors including construction, energy, healthcare, telecommunications, mining, plastics, IT, and defense industries.

He singled out the construction of the modern hospital in Fier as a flagship project symbolizing the growing strategic cooperation in health.

Turkish Vice President emphasized the vast opportunities in Albania’s agriculture, tourism, and technology sectors, especially in coastal agricultural zones, where Turkish expertise from regions like Antalya could boost productivity.

“Albania has made remarkable progress in tourism, hosting over 11 million foreign visitors last year. Turkish companies can bring added value to this thriving sector,” he said.

Yılmaz concluded by calling on Turkish investors to explore concrete investment opportunities in Albania, underlining that stronger economic ties would benefit both nations and further solidify their strategic partnership.

/r.e/a.f/u.sh/